A/N: Okay, so I thought I posted this last Thursday, but I guess the Internet was being retarded so sorry for the delay. I guess this explains the lack of reviews lol :)

Chapter Twenty

Jasper POV

Alice came flying down the stairs in a blur, Dana at her heels. I looked up from the newspaper article topped with a huge picture of the girl Dana once was.

"I can't see her! She's gone and I bet she went sneaking off again!" Alice cried.

It took me about half a second to deduct that she was talking about Bella. "Calm down," I soothe gently. "Where was she before she disappeared?"

"Talking to Edward. She asked if she could go visit Jacob and he insisted it wasn't safe. Then she gets up to go to the bathroom, taking her cell phone with her and disappears!"

"But Edward hasn't let Bella out of his sight," Dana chipped in. "She says so in her letters. It would be kinda hard for her to just sneak off."

"Very good point, Dana, thank you," I said nodding my head in her direction. "It sounds to me like Bella didn't like being told she can't see her friend so since she can't go to him, she invited him over. Nothing to panic about."

"But, Jasper! He's a wolf!"

"Wolf or not, he's Bella's friend and she trusts him. As soon as you question her faith in them you question her faith in us. Do you think her faith is misplaced in us?" Dana said with a hint of irritation. Wow, this coming from the girl who hid behind me at the sight of four wolves yesterday. "She has got a brain in her head, why don't you let her use it."

That brought Alice up short. "I just... I worry about her."

"We all do," I said, gently. "But Dana's right, we should let Bella make her own decisions."

Despite our little pep talk, Alice was still fidgety for the next few hours, waiting for some word that Bella was alright. Every now and then, I would send a little calm her way whenever her anxiousness was getting to be too much. Dana just sat calmly rereading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for the twelfth time.

I was about to calm Alice down for the fifty-second time, when her cell phone suddenly beeped, making her leap out of her seat. She checked the message and I suddenly felt a wave of dread pour off of her.

"Alice?" I asked in concern. "What's happened?"

Dana looked up from her book, full of anxiousness.

Alice handed me the phone and I read the message from Bella: The Blacks came over for dinner. Jacob knows about Dana, he knows she was at my school and he's getting really suspicious. I think he suspects who bit her.

Oh, no! This was no good. If the pack finds out I broke the treaty, it'll be war on the whole family, not just me.

I quickly sent another message back: This is Jasper: Are you sure he knows? I need to be one hundred percent sure he and the pack won't start a war, because it's not just me who will be in danger, it'll be the whole family.

I waited impatiently for the reply. Dana and Alice's impatience was rubbing on me making my own even worse. I stood up and began pacing.

Twenty minutes later, I finally got a reply: Okay, I think I may have diverted a disaster here. I told Jacob what happened, minus who actually bit her, and I convinced him to talk to Sam about getting Dana included in the treaty. I really hope it doesn't come to a war, I really couldn't stand that.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Dana and Alice relaxed as well. Bella really knew how to talk people out of fights. I had to hand it to her, but there was still the suspicion of who bit Dana. I couldn't allow my family to be hurt because of my own mistake. It was my fault, not theirs. I had to do something.

Alice suddenly squeaked in alarm. "Jasper! Your future is gone!" she wailed.

I quickly bathed her in peace and calm. "I just have to go talk to them. It's alright, I'll be back before you know it." I kissed her. "Watch Dana until I get back."

"Watch me?" Dana complained. "I'm not a baby."

I smiled. "But you are a newborn."

She stuck her tongue out at me and I playfully ruffled her hair.

"I'll be back in a bit," I called as I left the house and headed for the treaty line.

A/N: Anyway, again I'm sorry for the late chapter, but I'll make it up to you; I'll add 21 as soon as this one is up :) R&R!